200.
With regard to the failure to comply with the prescribed procedures requiring the submission of the design of civil works for geotechnical checking, I have been informed by the Railway Division that virtually no railway work was submitted to the Geotechnical Control Office at that time because of pressure of work and staff shortages and the Director of Engineering Development has also explained that in this particular case the works involved in the raising of the platform level were considered to be of a very minor nature, that the works had to be completed within a very tight schedule and that the staff concerned had a heavy workload. The Director has agreed with the validity of my recommendation that submission of design proposals for geotechnical checking in accordance with prescribed procedures should be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity to prevent possible abortive works and the necessity to carry out remedial works, and that the prescribed procedures should be amended to state explicitly the timing of submissions to enable necessary geotechnical checking to be carried out before tendering. The Secretary for Lands and Works has recently advised me that the technical circular on geotechnical submissions is currently under review.
Head 705
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201.
Engineering. Subhead 5015 DR. Incinerator and departmental quarters at Kwai Chung. The final account for the civil works contract for the Kwai Chung incinerator plant which included claims amounting to $4.2 million arising primarily from delays was settled in March 1984. Delays also occurred in the plant contract completed earlier, and claims from the plant contractor were settled at $2.9 million. An audit review to ascertain the reasons for the delays in completion of the contracts and for the contractors' claims revealed that there were deficiencies in the project management, in the co-ordination of the plant and civil works and in the contract documentation.
202.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (previously the Electrical and Mechanical Office of the Engineering Development Department) was responsible for the overall financial control of the project and for the administration of the contracts for the incinerator plant and building services, whilst the Civil Engineering Office of the Engineering Development Department, through its consultants, was responsible for the design and management of contracts for the associated civil engineering and building works. The plant contract was awarded to an overseas contractor on a turnkey basis and provided for the design, manufacture, delivery, erection and commissioning of the plant. The civil works
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